Pittsburgh @ Cincinnati preview

Last Meeting ( Jun 18, 2013 ) Pittsburgh 4, Cincinnati 0

The Pittsburgh Pirates have used 11 starters this season after employing only 10 in 2013, but one constant has been Jeff Locke. The 25-year-old left-hander, who won the No. 5 job out of spring training, tries to keep his strong season going when the Pirates continue their four-game series in Cincinnati against the Reds on Wednesday. Locke is the only starter from the season-opening rotation on the active roster and hasn't allowed a run in four of his last six turns.

Locke will oppose Bronson Arroyo, who is 6-7 with a 3.88 ERA in 15 starts against the Pirates and has lost his last three outings against Pittsburgh. The Pirates won for only the second time in their last eight tries in Cincinnati with a 4-0 victory Tuesday when four pitchers combined on a four-hitter for their National League-leading 12th shutout. Cincinnati trails St. Louis by 2 1/2 games in the NL Central, while Pittsburgh is three behind.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, ROOT Sports (Pittsburgh), Fox Sports Ohio (Cincinnati)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Pirates LH Jeff Locke (6-1, 2.19 ERA) vs. Reds RH Bronson Arroyo (6-5, 3.27)

Locke, who hasn't lost since his first start of the season April 7 at Dodger Stadium, yielded two hits in seven innings in a 3-0 victory over Los Angeles on Friday. He has yielded only 40 hits in his last 66 2/3 innings covering 11 starts and his ERA over his last six outings is 0.98. Locke, who is 3-1 with a 1.91 ERA on the road, handcuffed the Reds on April 13 when he allowed one run and four hits but walked four in a 3-1 victory at Pittsburgh.

Arroyo yielded a season-high 12 hits - one shy of a career high - in his last start, but only three runs (two earned) in 7 2/3 innings while receiving a no-decision in the Reds' 4-3 victory over Milwaukee on Friday. Arroyo is 5-1 with a 2.64 ERA and 1.13 WHIP in nine home starts this season while walking nine and striking out 40. Arroyo has handled Andrew McCutchen (1-for-19, home run), but Pedro Alvarez and Neil Walker are a combined 9-for-19 with a homer apiece against him.

WALK-OFFS

1. Reds 1B Joey Votto has gone 2-for-4 in each of his last three contests after going 1-for-13 in his previous four games.

2. The Pirates have lost the first contest of a four-game series before taking the final three games in four consecutive series.

3. Cincinnati CF Shin-Soo Choo on Tuesday was hit by a pitch for the major league-leading 19th time. ... The Pirates have hit 39 batters, which leads the majors.

PREDICTION: Reds 3, Pirates 2